Step By Step guide to Troubleshooting an error filled PC or Laptop

Step By Step guide to Troubleshooting an error filled PC or Laptop

Coping With PC Anxiety

Tips & Techniques For Stress-Free Troubleshooting

Sooner or later, you’re going to have computer problems. That’s not a warning; it’s a guarantee. Fortunately, how you react to those problems is up to you. While some of us remain calm, others stress out. Still others scream and panic much like students in bomb squad school about to fail their first and final exam. Needless to say, such reactions are unhealthy. That’s why we want to help you handle your PC problems stress-free. Here are a few troubleshooting essentials that might help not only to get you through your next computer crash, but help keep your blood pressure down, as well.

■ Find The Root Of The Problem.

The first thing to do when your PC misbehaves (aside from sighing, gasping, and moaning) is to locate the source of the problem. You might be able to determine this by tracing your steps. Try to remember what you were doing before the problem occurred. Take note if you’ve recently installed a new program, saved or deleted an odd-looking file, or moved your computer to a new location. Don’t disregard anything.

If you’re lucky—well, perhaps “lucky” isn’t the right word—an error message will accompany the problem. If so, write it down. This will prevent you from later forgetting what went wrong. Your notes might also come in handy if

you need to call a technician. Moreover, error messages sometimes contain important clues as to whether your problem is hardware- or software- related. Let’s say you’re trying to upload images from your scanner but keep getting an error message saying your computer is unable to connect to the scanning device. Chances are, your PC didn’t cause the problem. Nor is it probably software-related. You’d want to start troubleshooting other hardware, such as the scanner’s cable and power connections Once you’ve located the source of the problem and determined whether it’s caused by hardware or software, you can begin the troubleshooting process.

■ Troubleshooting Hardware.

Let’s be honest, you don’t want to open your computer unless you have to. So before you go reaching for a screwdriver, listen for irregular noises coming from inside your PC. A ratchet “zzzzz” sound may mean a stray wire is touching the fan blades or that the fan motor is low on lubricant. A grinding noise may indicate a problem with the hard drive. (If that’s the case, save the drive’s data immediately: The motor or head system, which contains read/write heads that record and retrieve information from within the drive’s case, could be preparing to fail. You have a right to panic.) Try solving hardware problems outside your PC by first making sure the hardware is plugged in and turned on. This may sound obvious, but more than a few people have spent valuable time troubleshooting a PC when all they had to do was just reattach a loose cable or flip a switch. If the power and cable sources check out OK, refer to the Device Manager. In Windows XP, right-click My Computer, select Properties, choose the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. Navigate to the hardware device that is giving you problems. A small yellow circle and an exclamation point or question mark to the left of the device’s name indicates

that Windows has detected a problem. Click the exclamation point, and you might be directed through a series of problem-solving steps. If not, right-click the device, uninstall it, and remove it from Device Manager. Then reboot your computer. Windows will redetect the hardware, hopefully without the problem. If your computer won’t reboot, try starting it in Windows’ diagnostics mode, called Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, Windows uses only the most vital drivers and components, which limits the numbers of tasks you can perform but makes it easier for you to spot problems caused by newly installed drivers. To enter Safe Mode, start your computer and begin tapping the F8 key until an Advanced Options menu appears. Select Safe Mode and press ENTER. WinXP users can add Safe Mode to their Boot Menu. Right-click My Computer and select Properties. Choose the Advanced Tab. Under Startup And Recovery, click Settings. Then, in the resulting Startup And Recovery dialog box, click the Edit button under System Startup. After Notepad opens, copy the last line of text and paste it in the next line. Delete the description inside the quotes (most likely “Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition”) and replace it with Safe Mode. In the same line, change “/fastdetect” to “/safeboot:minimal/sos/bootlog”. Now click File, Save, and then exit Notepad. Click OK twice (once to close the Startup And Recovery dialog box and again to close the System Properties dialog box). The Safe Mode option will appear the next time you boot your computer.

Use the Device Manager in Windows to check
hardware problems, such as missing drivers and
malfunctioning system devices.

■Troubleshooting Software.

Software glitches occur far more frequently than hardware glitches. That’s because software (which includes the operating system, OS utilities, and other applications) is responsible for carrying out every single task the computer performs. And when you consider that multiple programs may be running at any given moment—either behind the scenes or in your computer’s foreground—it’s no surprise that applications occasionally conflict with one another. Viruses and bugs, however, cause most software problems. Viruses are better prevented than fixed (with antivirus software and firewalls), but users have less control over bugs (which are actually coding errors or defects within the software program). A good software company will offer updates, or patches, to fix bugs in its products, but often minor bugs can be eliminated by the user. If you experience problems immediately after you’ve installed a new program, try simply uninstalling or reinstalling the software. If your computer freezes, try pressing the ESC key. If the ESC key doesn’t work, try closing the application with the Windows Task manager. Press CTRL-ALT-DELETE and select Task Manager. Now choose the Applications tab. Here you’ll see a list of all the programs open on your computer. If a program is not working properly, or is “Not Responding,” use the End Task button to terminate the program. Also in the Task Manager, under the Processes tab, you’ll find a list of all the applications your computer is running, including those applications running in the background, along with a reading of how much memory each task is using. If too many programs run at once, or your system gets low on memory resources, you’re likely to notice a slowdown in your computer, perhaps even a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). Items listed under the Processes tab as LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE, and SYSTEM typically can’t be closed, but other items can be (select the program and click the End Process button). You might be able to end slowdowns by closing some of these items. Just don’t close any applications if you aren’t sure what they are. The best way, however, to end freezes, crashes, slowdowns, and even some glitches is

Windows Me and XP users can restore their computers to an earlier date
and time using the System Restore feature.

to simply reboot your computer. If you think you’ve caused a problem by accidentally deleting a necessary file, try recovering if from the Recycle Bin or a backup disk. Windows Me/XP users have the option of using System Restore. (Click Start, point to All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and select System Restore.) System Restore, although not a backup utility, monitors system and program files and creates restore points at selected intervals. If a user with either of these OSes experiences a problem, she can revert the system to a state when it worked properly. WinXP users also have access to The Last Known Good Configuration feature. This feature will revert your OS to the same settings in effect the last time your computer started successfully. To use The Last Known Good Configuration feature, start your computer, tap the F8 key to enter the Windows Advanced Options menu, select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and press ENTER.

If a program stops responding, try
closing it through Windows Task
Manager (press CTRL-ALT-DELETE).

■ Tech Support: The Last Resort

During major crises you may have no choice but to refer to technical support. Try to make this your final option. Tech support can be expensive and time consuming, especially if you seek help through email, which can take days to receive a response. With patience and a little effort you can solve most computer problems on your own . . . without the panicking. by Eric Melvin Reed

Error Messages

Use the Device Manager in Windows to check

hardware problems, such as missing drivers and

malfunctioning system devices.

Windows Me and XP users can restore their computers to an earlier date

and time using the System Restore feature.

If a program stops responding, try

closing it through Windows Task

Manager (press CTRL-ALT-DELETE).